S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9812
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 9, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  NOLAN  -- (at request of the State Education
   Department) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing for aid  for
   print  disabled  students  for  the  purchase and use of instructional
   supports
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  4210 of the education law, as amended by chapter
 350 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   § 4210. Aid for PRINT DISABLED, blind or deaf students. 1. a. Whenever
 a PRINT DISABLED, blind or deaf person, who is a citizen of  this  state
 and  a  student in actual attendance at a college, university, technical
 or professional school, including agriculture and  technical  institutes
 and state institutes of applied arts and sciences, located in this state
 and  authorized  by  law  to  grant  degrees, or licensed private career
 schools as defined in article one hundred one of this title and  located
 in  this  state,  other  than an institution established for the regular
 instruction of the blind or deaf, shall be designated  by  the  trustees
 thereof  as  a  fit  person to receive the aid hereinafter provided for,
 there shall be paid by the state for the use of such student a  sum  not
 to  exceed  four thousand dollars per annum, subject to terms and condi-
 tions prescribed by the  commissioner  in  regulations  and  within  the
 limits  of  the  appropriation  therefor,  with  which  to  provide such
 students with support to read, including the employment  of  persons  to
 read  to  such  student  and/or the purchase of technology to assist the
 student in reading from text-books and pamphlets in his or  her  studies
 at  such  college,  university  or  school,  or  to aid such student, in
 receiving instruction in such studies.
   b. The trustees of any institution meeting the  requirements  of  this
 section  shall  submit  reports  in  such  form  and  at  such  times as
 prescribed by the commissioner identifying the number of students eligi-
 ble to receive aid pursuant to this subdivision and shall  estimate  the
 funds  needed  to  support such students as provided herein. The commis-
 sioner shall advance twice during the school year to each such  institu-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14654-01-8

 A. 9812                             2
 
 tion  such  estimated  amounts within the limits of the annual appropri-
 ation provided therefore.
   c.  At  the  conclusion  of the academic year for which such funds are
 provided, each institution receiving funds pursuant to this  subdivision
 shall  submit to the commissioner a final accounting for the use of such
 funds and  any  additional  reporting  requirements  prescribed  by  the
 commissioner in regulations and shall return any unspent funds.
   1-A.  FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE TERM "PRINT DISABLED" SHALL
 MEAN A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO EXPERIENCES  BARRIERS  TO  ACCESSING
 INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL IN NON-SPECIALIZED FORMATS, INCLUDING AN INDIVID-
 UAL DESCRIBED IN SECTION 121(D)(2) OF TITLE 17, UNITED STATES CODE.
   2.  Such  moneys  shall  be  paid annually, after the beginning of the
 school year of such institution, by the  commissioner  of  taxation  and
 finance  on  the  warrant  of  the comptroller, to the treasurer of such
 institution, on his presenting an account showing the actual  number  of
 PRINT  DISABLED,  blind  or deaf students matriculated and attending the
 institution, which account shall be verified by  the  president  of  the
 institution  and  accompanied  by his certificate that the trustees have
 recommended the students named in said account as hereinbefore provided.
   3. The trustees of any of the said  institutions  shall  recommend  no
 PRINT DISABLED, blind or deaf person, who is not regularly matriculated,
 and  who is not in good and regular standing, and who is not working for
 a degree from the institution in which he or she is matriculated; and no
 PRINT DISABLED, blind or deaf person shall be recommended,  who  is  not
 doing  the  work  regularly prescribed by the institution for the degree
 for which he or she is a candidate. The  moneys  so  paid  to  any  such
 institution  shall  be disbursed for the purposes aforesaid by and under
 the direction of its board of trustees.
   4. Funds appropriated in  the  two  thousand  seventeen--two  thousand
 eighteen  academic  year  and thereafter for the purposes of this initi-
 ative shall be allocated on a first-come, first serve basis based on the
 order of applications received by the commissioner, in a  timeframe  and
 manner prescribed by the commissioner in regulations.
   5.  Funds  allocated  pursuant  to  this  section shall supplement not
 supplant any aid provided and/or devices currently used by the  college,
 university,  technical or professional school, including agriculture and
 technical institutes and state institutes of applied arts  and  sciences
 or licensed private career schools as defined in article one hundred one
 of this title, for the purposes of this section.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.